Willie's Remedy Review: Is It Worth $70 a Bottle?

Bonnie Mellott | July 14, 2026

Willie's Remedy is probably the single most-asked-about product on this channel, so it's about time I gave it a real, honest review. Quick disclosure up front: I'm not sponsored by or affiliated with Willie's Remedy, and never have been. This is just my actual take after trying it.

Is Willie's Remedy Being Banned? (Updated September 3, 2026)

Yes, and there's now a firm date. Federal law caps hemp products at 0.4mg of total THC per container, which outlaws every version of Willie's Remedy starting December 11, 2026. That's a month later than the original November 12 deadline: the president signed a spending bill on September 3, 2026 that gave drinks an extra 29 days. Delta-8 and delta-10 products didn't get that extension and still lose their legal status November 12, so if a headline told you the whole hemp ban moved, it didn't. Only the drinks did.

A heads-up if you shop at Total Wine: most of the shelf signs stores posted still show the old November date. The bottle outlasts the sign by a month.

In Texas the answer is the same date. The state's Schedule 1 crackdown this summer covered delta-8 and THCA, not low-dose drinks like this one, so December 11 is the deadline that matters there too. The state-by-state details are in my legality breakdown.

The White House says no further delays are coming. If Willie's is your bottle, this fall is the window to stock up, and the full story, including what could still change, is in my THC drink ban explainer.

What Is Willie's Remedy?

It's a hemp-derived THC "social tonic": Willie Nelson's THC-infused answer to a spirit, legal at the federal level under the 2018 Farm Bill until the ban covered above takes effect. If you want the full breakdown of how that legality actually works, I covered it in detail here. This post is just about whether the drink itself is any good.

How Does It Taste?

Good, honestly. It comes in a 5mg and a 10mg version, and I've tried both side by side. The flavor is virtually identical between them, a light grapefruit-citrus taste that mixes well into almost anything. It's not trying to imitate a specific spirit, which actually makes it more versatile: it works in a margarita, a fizz, a cosmo, pretty much wherever you'd normally reach for something citrus-forward. All three get shaken, so a basic Boston shaker is the only tool you need to make any of them.

Dosing: 5mg vs. 10mg

5mg is a solid starting dose if you're new to THC drinks. My own sweet spot lands around 10mg. One real piece of advice: measure it carefully. It goes down easy, almost too easy, and it's simple to overserve yourself if you're not paying attention to how much you're pouring. A cheap jigger takes the guesswork out, and it's the one bar tool that actually matters with a THC spirit.

The Real Complaint: The Price

Here's the part I actually need to talk about, because it's the single biggest thing people bring up. Willie's Remedy runs close to $70 a bottle at retailers like Total Wine, and it's even pricier ordering online. When I posted my first review, the comments were full of people saying the same thing: it's too expensive.

They're not wrong. So I did something about it: I compared the actual lab results. And since Grind isn't the only option anymore, I've put every alternative I've tested, cost per milligram included, in one place: Willie's Remedy alternatives.

Grind With Gratitude sits on the shelf right next to it for about half the price, roughly $35. I scanned both bottles' COAs (the QR-code lab results every legitimate THC drink brand publishes), and they're manufactured in the same facility, same bottle size, same 10mg-per-serving strength. The only real difference is that Willie's Remedy spends serious money on national marketing, and Grind doesn't. (Full disclosure: after I posted about this price gap, Grind's team sent me a few bottles to try. The COA comparison itself is public information you can verify yourself.)

To be clear, I'm not saying "cheapest wins" as a blanket rule. I've also tried the bargain-bin THC shots people love to recommend as an even cheaper alternative, and they taste like it: more gas-station energy drink than something you'd actually want to build a cocktail around. Grind is the rare case where you get a very similar product for less, not a worse product for less.

So, Is Willie's Remedy Worth It?

If brand recognition and being able to grab it off the shelf at Total Wine matters to you, Willie's Remedy is a well-made drink and I understand the appeal. But if you're mixing cocktails at home and don't care whose name is on the label, Grind With Gratitude gets you the same lab-verified strength for about half the cost, and that's before you even talk about the finished cocktails. And if you'd rather order from a brand I've already reviewed in depth, Ellora 20mg by Crescent Canna is $70 for double the per-serving dose and 340mg in the bottle, twice the THC of the 10mg bottle for only $10 more. It's made by the same folks as the Crescent 9 seltzers I reviewed. A 20mg serving is a heavy pour, so start low and slow, or grab the 10mg version, the same strength as Willie's, for $60.

Speaking of which, I've built five real cocktails around Willie's Remedy specifically, including a Shotgun Willie's Margarita, a Blue Eyes Crying in the Fizz, and a Red Headed Stranger Cosmo. All five are worth trying, whichever bottle you end up with.

Bottom Line

• Taste: Good. Light citrus, works in almost any cocktail
• Dosing: 5mg or 10mg, measure carefully
• Price: ~$70+/bottle, and that's the real sticking point
• Alternative: Grind With Gratitude, same lab-verified strength, about half the price
• More options: every Willie's Remedy alternative I've tested, ranked by cost per milligram
• No spirit at all: my THC Painkiller and THC Penicillin, built on Mission Farms Elevate powder instead of a bottle

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Willie's Remedy get you high?

Yes. This is real hemp-derived Delta-9 THC, not CBD, and the effect scales with how much you pour. Like most THC drinks, it also kicks in noticeably faster than a traditional edible, typically 15–30 minutes rather than an hour-plus.

How much Willie's Remedy should I drink?

Start with a 5mg serving if you're new to THC drinks; my own sweet spot is 10mg. Whatever you land on, measure your pour. It goes down easy, and overserving yourself is the most common mistake with this bottle. For a full breakdown of what 2–5mg, 10mg, and 20mg+ actually feel like, see my THC drink dosage guide.

Is Willie's Remedy legal?

Yes, for now. It's hemp-derived, which the 2018 Farm Bill made federally legal, and that's why it's sold at liquor stores like Total Wine instead of dispensaries. State cannabis laws vary, so check your own state's rules. But the bigger story is the question below.

Is Willie's Remedy being banned?

Yes. Federal law outlaws every version of Willie's Remedy starting December 11, 2026, a month later than the original November 12 date. The details, including why most Total Wine shelf signs still show the old date, are in the ban section at the top of this review and in my THC drink ban explainer.

What is Willie's Remedy made of?

It's a hemp-derived THC "social tonic": THC extracted from federally legal hemp, nano-emulsified so it actually dissolves into the liquid instead of separating. That's also why it mixes so cleanly into cocktails. It comes in 5mg and 10mg versions, both with the same light grapefruit-citrus flavor.

How does Willie's Remedy compare to other THC drink brands?

The closest head-to-head is Grind With Gratitude. Per the published COAs, they're made in the same facility at the same 10mg strength, at about half the price (full comparison in the price section above). I've also reviewed Crescent 9 THC Seltzer, which is a different format entirely: a ready-to-drink canned seltzer rather than a bottle you mix from. For LoDo, Ellora, Artet, and the rest, the full alternatives comparison has the side-by-side. And if you want the THC without any spirit in the glass, I built a no-rum Painkiller and a no-scotch Penicillin with Mission Farms Elevate, a powdered mixer that dissolves into the drink.

THC products are intended for adults 21 and older. Effects vary by person and product. THC will show up on a drug test. Start with a low dose, allow adequate time before consuming more, and don't drive after use. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Cocktail Underground may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.